Secrets and School

Chapter 9

I woke up very sore but I still put my binder on. Mum insisted I took the day off school and stay at home with a baggy jumper on, with no binder. I refused to stay. I came up with the excuse of 'We are starting a new topic in English, I really need to be there or I'm going to fall behind.' Of course she bought it but she said that as soon as I was in pain I should go to the nurse and ask the nurse to phone her. As soon as I walked out the front door, I immediately regretted not taking her offer. I was in a lot of pain.

As it was Thursday I had double art, lesson three and four. I was really looking forward to it as it helps relieve a lot of stress. Normally, I sat on the small table in the corner by myself, it doesn't bother me as I would probably get so engrossed in my work, that I would just end up ignoring anyone who would sit next to me.

Lesson one and lesson two, English and Psychology, passed without much action and rather boring. Well aside from the shear amount of pain I was in. When I walked into art just after break, I saw that my table had disappeared. It must have been moved to one of the other art rooms for the art exam the other class were doing. Great. Now where am I going to sit? Charlie walked in and sat at his table, I could sit next to him, until my table comes back. But he has been bullying Zoe. All the others seats had almost been filled by this point. Fuck it, I will just have to sit there.

"Hey Charlie, my table has been taken, so could I sit here until it comes back?" I asked as I approached. Charlie pulled the seat from under the table and indicated me to sit on it.

"I know you probably don't like me, but I promise not to do anything to you here. It's normally when Declan is around that I mess around. I am sorry, for what I have done, and I do understand if you still hate my guts." Charlie said, as I sat down.

"I'll be honest, I am not going to be best buds with you all of a sudden, but I would like to be civil with you." I said, opening my A3 sketchbook.

"I'm happy with that." He said, as he too opened his sketchbook. Holy shit! He's talented.

"Wow." I didn't realise I had said it, until he turned to look at me with a smile.

"It's really not that great, but thank you." Charlie said, looking down towards the floor. He was clearly sincere when he claimed to dislike his work. I continued with the pencil landscape I was drawing. I was pretty impressed with myself until I saw Charlie's, his looked like an actual picture, but in black and white.

The lesson continued and Charlie kept true to his word. "So then Jake, why move to this dump of a school?" Charlie causally asked, as he sharpened his pencil.

"Well, my family were getting a lot of hate from where I came from. I won't tell you why we got so much hate, but I will say there was no reason for those people to hate us." I said, staring at my piece of work.

"Dude, I am so sorry. I won't ask why they hated you because clearly that's personal, but now you're getting the same from us here. Shit, I am so sorry. I didn't even know. I am so sorry." Charlie said, clearly saddened by his actions in the past.

"Don't worry, I guess I just got used to it." I said, looking down at my drawing again.

"I won't bully you or Zoe anymore, even in front of Declan. In fact I will tell him to stop, I am so sorry." Charlie started apologising again.

"Don't worry about it Charlie, you will just end up on the receiving end of his insults. Keep insulting me and Zoe, I know you really don't mean it and I will tell Zoe that. You can be my spy or something." I said.

"Okay, but anything horrible I say I promise I don't mean it." Charlie said, looking sincere.

"Okay, deal." I said holding out my hand.

"Deal." He replied shaking my extended hand.

"Quieten down class. I am setting you a two week project. You will have to work in pairs, you are old enough to be sensible about this, but if the pairs are not working well I will rearrange them, understood?" Ms Legdy said, handing out sheets of paper with instructions.

"Do you want to work together?" Charlie said, looking at the instructions.

"Sure." I reply reading the instructions as well. Shit, we have to draw each other. I don't mind drawing others, but I can't stand others looking at me and drawing me. I hate my body and people looking at it makes me feel so insecure. A shiver runs down my spine.

The bell rings and the class quickly gather their things. "So are we friends or not?" Charlie says, looking slightly embarrassed.

"I guess we are. But remember only we know that." I said, winking. Charlie laughs. "I will tell Zoe about our little plan." We walked out of class, laughing. Declan was only a short way up the corridor. We immediately stopped laughing and I backed away from Charlie. He quickly turned to smile at me, when Declan wasn't looking, before walking away.